Dropping attachment for corn-planters.



G. HUNN'IGUTT.

DROPPNG ATTACHMENT PoR 001m PLANTBBS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1909. 955,462.

Patented Apr. 19,1910

2 sums-SHEET 1.

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C. HUNNIGUTT.

DROPPING ATTAOHMENTIOB CORN PLANTERS. APPLIGATION FILED JULY19, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Quorum' CHARLES HUNNICUTT, 0F NILMINGTON, OHIO.

DROPPING ATTACHMENT FOR CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .'uly 19, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 191m.

Serial No. 508.393.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES HUNNI- oU'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Vilmington, in the county of Clinton and State ot Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Dropping Attachments for Corn-Planters, et which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of corn dropping attachments t'or corn planters, and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved corn discharging mechanism wherein means are provided for preventing the discharge of more than apredetermined number of grains ot corn at one time; to provide means for depositing the grains of corn longitudinally within the ring plate recesses; to provide improved means for permittingthe passage oil unusually large grains of corn to the discharge spout and to produce other improvements t-he details of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse seo-ron through the hopper or corn containing' box ot a corn planter showing the box bottom in plan, Fig. E2 is a sectional view on line mof Fig. l, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the curved line a-a, of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line jl/-g/ ot Fig. 1, and, Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the outer end portion of a spring actuated dog, which T employ in the manner hereinafter described, said section being taken on line Z) of Fig.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the usual bottom plate ot a planter hopper, which bottom plate is formed with the usual central opening and adjoining one edge with a downwardly extending discharge spout 2, with which discharg'e spout is ordinarily connected the corn conducting housing whichV connects with the planter shoe. To the bottom plate l is hinged in the usual manner at 3, to the upper side frame ring 4, said ring bearing upon the member l in the usual manner. Upon the bottom trame member 1 and within the ring frame 4. is rotatably mounted the corn carrying ring 5, the marginal portion of the ring having formed therein at receiving recesses G. This corn carrying ring is carried by a frame plate or dish 7 which ts within said ring and is suitably connected therewith. This dish has formel on its underside downwardly extending lugs 7a, which engage the upper side or tace of a horizontally disposed bevel gear wheel 8 which extends rotatably within the central opening of the trame member 1 and the teeth of which mesh with the usual upright power transmitting bevel gear wheel 9, which receives its motion from the traveling movement ot the corn planter in the ordinary manner.

Through the medium ot' a bolt 10, which passes centrally and pivotally through the plate or disk 7, said plate is connected with a horizontally disposed upper side plate 11, this plate 11 being in the nature of a partial disk or disk plate having one side cut away, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The plate 11 is through the medium of upwardly bowed arms l rigidly connected at suitable intervals with the upper side of the member 4. As shown in the drawing, the greater portion ot` the plate 11 extends to the outer circular edge of the ring plate the edge ot the plate 11, however, being beveled or inclined, as indicated at 11a. Above that portion of the base ring plate 1, which is provided with the outlet 2, the ring member 4 has formed therewith an inwardly proj ecting and thence downwardly inclined segmental flange 12, said ilange having one of its ends cut away on its inner side, forming a curved recess 13 between said flange and the inner wall of the member 4. This recess which is immediately above and in circular alinement with the notched marginal portion of the plate ring 5, has lying therein a correspondingly shaped dog or trip member' 14, the inner enlarged end ot which is fulcrumed or pivoted in the` plate 12. The outer end of the dog 14 is formed with a rounded termination as indicated at 14, the downward extension of which as is indicated more clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawing, is reduced in width, said reduced portion which is indicated at 14b being of such thickness or width as to permit of its projecting freely within the marginal recesses (i of the plate 5, when the latter is being rotated, the shoulder 14C which is formed by producing the reduced terminal 14b serving to prevent the entrance of the thicker or wider portion desirable intervals slightly elongated corn i of the dog into saitL recesses. The Ydog is normally held in t'rictional contact with the upper surface et the marginal and recessed portion ot the ring 5 by means of a spring 15, which is arranged between the upper portion ot' the inner end ot the dog 1st and a projection ot a central lug 12 of the plate (')n the opposite side of the lug 12l trom that occupied by the dog lt, 1 pivot in the plate 12 a spring actuated dog or valve lo., the latter having an upper arm letween which and the lug 12 is interposed a coiled spring 1129. .is indicated in the dra\.ving the downwardly eXtending lower portion of the spring actuated dog itl normally projects below the plate 12 and above the corn outlet 2. The tiang'e .l2 is surmounted by an elongI ted cap 1T wmch Yforms a housing tor section, as: shown in l1 ig. 3t and to the undery side of said ring body. rlhe section 18 has one end termed with an upper side tongue extension 1Sa which engages a correspondingly shaped recess in the upper side ot' the ring plate. which serves to limit the downward movement of the yielding section. rthe spring strip 19 serves to normally support the upper side of the section 18 tlush with the upper surface ot the ring 1.

On the inner side of the ring member l provide. a lateral enlargement or projection eta. this enlargement extending from a point near one end of the plate 12 a suitable distance about the inner side of said ring member et. The lower side ot the enlargement l is approximately parallel with the corn carrying plate 5 and spaced trom it sutliciently to permitthe passage otl grains ot corn horizontally into the recesses ot the corn larrying plate. Rising from the ring 4 in the usual manner, is a desirable form of seed corn containing hopper. a portion ot which is indicated at 20.

l-n operation.y it will be understood that through the connection ot the plate T and gear member 8 and the connection o1 said plate with the ring member rotary motion is imparted to the latter, with the result that the corn which is carried in the hopper and which drops into the marginal recesses C ot the plate ring is carried in the usual manner to the discharge opening 2, from which after a predetermined number of grains have been deposited therein. the corn is discharged in a suitable 'manner to the planter shoe. lt is desirable in order to deliver a predetermined number ot' grains of corn to the space` beneath the, flange the outlet, that but one grain of corn he carried by each ot the elongated recesses ot' the traveling carrier ring 5. and while the recesses in the plate are constructed ot proper size to accommodate horizontally therein grains ot average width, and while it is obvious that the dog 1J: will by the usual operation7 tend to prevent an undesirable number o'f grains 'trom passing into 1L?, it is well known that occasionally more than one grain of corn will be received by one ot the 'arrier ring recesses7 particularly where two grains ot considerable less than normal width tall therein and also where two grains tall therein vertically instead ot horizontally and where. two grains o1' corn are thus carried by one recess, it. is not desirable t'or the same to pass beneath the dog 1t, thus delivering a greater number ot grains to the discharge outletI within a given time than is desired` but by providing the project-ion or enlargement t@ ot the member 4, grains ot corn are permitted to enter the recesses of the corn carrying plate 5 only when said grains are in their lengthwise positions, thus insuring the kernel ot corn being received lengthwise or longitudinally within the recesses of the ring plate and obviating any tendency of two or more grains being` crowded vertically into one ot said recesses. then two grains of less than normal width, tall into one of the recesses one above the other and are carried around to the cut-oli' or dog 14, it. will be understood that the reduced terminal portion of the dog which projects or extends into the recess slightly, will serve by contact with the upper grain, to torce the latter out of the recess, thus allowing but one grain to pass as desired. 11s the cut-ott or dog 1e is held with considerable pressure in Contact with the corn carrying ring plate to permit the passage beneath said dog of comparatively largeI or wide kernels without injury thereto, or wit-hout their being dislodged from the recess, l provide the yielding floor section 1S which will yield sutliciently to permit ot the passage of such grain without interference or injury thereto. As in other mechanism of this class, the spring' actuated dog 1G serves to direct the grains of corn to the discharge outlet 2 and is sutliciently yielding to overcome any tendency ot the corn to become clogged between the same and the entrance to the outlet.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and ehicient means are herein provided tor accomplishing the objects of the inventionbut while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purviewv such changes as may be made Within the scope of the appended claims.

That I claim, is:

l. In a dropping attachment for corn planters, the combination with a. fixed frame ring, of a rotative corn carrying plate having a plurality of peripheral recesses, an inwardly extending flange overhanging said corn carrying plate, a iixed member carried by said iiange, a pair of dogs pivotally mounted upon said flange, a spring bearing between each of said dogs and said fixed member, said springs normally tending to force said dogs into engagement with the corn carried by the corn carrying plate, a yielding `floor section located beneath one of said dogs, and an outlet -located beneath the other of said dogs.

2. In a dropping attachment for corn` planters, a rotatably mounted corn carrying plate having recesses formed at int-ervals in its marginal portion, of a spring actuated dog pivoted above said corn carrying plate, said dog having its outer and lower terminal portion formed with an extension narrower than the body of the dog and narroWer than said plate recesses, the reduced terminal portion of said dog adapted to dropinto said recesses as the corn carrying plate is rotated.

3. In a dropping attachment for corn planters, the .combination With a base member and a ring frame member, of a rotatably mounted corn carrying plate above said base member and having marginal recesses, said ring frame member having a portion of its inner surface provided with a lateral projection or enlargement extending from the point of entry around toward the point of discharge of the grains of corn and inward over the marginal recesses of the corn carrying plate, and spaced above said plate sufficient to permit the entrance laterally of grains of corn into the recesses of the same.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX -my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES l-IUNNICUTT.

fitnesses H. G. CARTWRIGHT, Jon T. DoAN. 

